Читать книгу: «Right hand. Prince of Darkness», страница 4

In his view, everything was simple: he gave people a chance to leave without loss, and if they did not use this chance, who is to blame? Fools always suffer. – By order of the Earl of Thornfolk, the heretics are to be exterminated, – he announced, chopping his words, but at the same time trying to speak quickly so as not to leave time for the people to do anything. The verdict is final and not subject to appeal. To battle!

And in chorus, the swords being taken out of their scabbards gnashed.

I am not a seer or a fortuneteller, but where I come from, time is perceived differently. And if I wish, I can see with my own eyes – no, not the future (and timing does not play any role here), but the most probable development of events. For a brief moment, I allowed myself to do so. The screams of the wounded and the moans of death mingled with the real screams of frightened people in a convulsive cacophony sounded in my ears. Powerful horses, literally trampling men and women. Blades wielded by riders to drive down foot soldiers. Short daggers used to finish off the wounded. A man living his last seconds, stretching his hands to his shattered chest. A woman lying face down in the grass is completely still, and only her long brown hair is becoming more and more densely stained with scarlet. With a squeal, children rushing about the clearing, who are sooner or later found and silenced with two or three blows of a dagger. Blood coagulates quickly. The carpet of pine needles is unnaturally reddening. Scraps of bright tents rush about in the wind in meaningless and shapeless patches. The instigators will go to the tavern and quickly forget about everything that happened in the clearing. This is not their first raid, each of them knows his business too well. But the memory will remain: the forest will take care of it. Hundreds of years will pass, but roots and crowns, moss and grass will forever remember every groan and every swing of the broadsword. And the forest will never be the same.

I shook my head, returning to the reality in which everyone was still alive. first fractions of a second. The cavalry began to advance into the clearing. The jeepsies, not expecting such a turn, hesitated a little, but now they scattered in all directions. I took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of pine needles through my nose, feeling the warmth of the resin that did not have time to harden. Several suitable trees were quickly found. A slight movement of the hand – and a tall dry pine tree fell into the clearing, breaking branches with a crash, touching the bushes and trees below, raising a pile of dust, from which everyone coughed, who had the imprudence to be too close to the place of the fall. The horsemen had to retreat, and the barrel reliably blocked the clearing, separating the warriors from the jeepsies.

The second pine was also almost dry, only a few needles were still green on a couple of branches. This time someone was hurt: warning exclamations and frightened cries mixed with groans. A third tree fell on top of the second, making the barrier more imposing. Fourth, fifth… Enough.

The jeepsies realized that they needed to seize the moment, and fled in all directions. Hiding in the forest will not be difficult for them. But we shouldn’t have hesitated either. It seems that the horsemen have nothing to complain about, but they will want to recoup someone for their failure. I pulled Eitan by the sleeve, and he reacted quickly, and there the rashtang arrived in time. It’s strange, of course, when a chariot rushes without a road through a thicket, but who will notice in the dark and confusion?

– Do you even realize that your heated performance in front of the guards was doomed to failure in advance? – I asked curiously an hour later, stretched out on the grass with my hands behind my head.

Eitan habitually sat by the fire, clasping his knees with his hands.

– Do I look like an idiot? he wondered.

I propped myself up on my elbow, examining him, lazily shrugged my shoulders, and lay back down comfortably.

– I do not know. Haven’t seen them in a while.

Eitan raised his eyes to the heavens in annoyance. But no one looked from there with a sympathetic look. Between the oncoming clouds, rare tiny stars blinked fearfully.

– I knew very well that they were of little interest in my opinion, – he condescended to answer.

– Then why didn’t you keep it to yourself?

– I think that in some cases it is necessary to do the right thing, even if it does not change anything.

– Why? – I thought, drummed my fingers on the damp earth. – So that nightmares do not torment you at night? To feel like a good person? To be respected by others?

– That’s how I was brought up, – snapped Eitan, but still considered it necessary to clarify: “If one, second, third, fourth know that they can’t change anything, but still do the right thing, sooner or later something will change. Even a mountain can move.”

– Perhaps. He glanced at me in surprise, apparently expecting ridicule, and not easy agreement. Not wanting to disappoint anyone, she added her fly in the ointment: – Only the concept of “correct” for each of them will be different, so the mountain will not move. Unless, of course, someone pushes her harder.

– For example?

– Yes, you never know, – I answered vaguely, looking into the dark sky.

– Who are you, Arafel?

The question took me by surprise. I propped myself up on my elbow again to meet the overly attentive gaze.

– Just a girl.

Eitan laughed.

I sat up, frowning, smoothing my tousled hair and wrapping my arms around my knees, waiting for this misplaced bout of fun to end.

– No ‘just a girl’ would answer like that, – he said at last.

– But as? I pricked up my ears.

– Well, for example, – Marta from the village of Rotten Stumps.” Or “the blacksmith’s daughter”. But not a “girl”. Would you even say “man”!

I bit my lip in annoyance because that was what I had originally intended to say.

Do you think I’m blind? You took the spell off me without even coming close. Let’s say you’re just a witch. Strong witch. But then it gets more interesting. You struggle with all your might not to enter the temple. And when I did go in, do you think I didn’t notice what happened there? You were not reflected in the mirror surface, and this scared the old woman to death.

– She got scared! I snapped. – There would be something to be afraid of! Who needs it?

– Then the nuns went crazy when you came to the convent, – he continued with the insistence of an enraged prosecutor.

– They were crazy about you, so you can still argue who is to blame! – I retorted.

– And I also felled the trees in that clearing?

– An earthquake, a coincidence. A natural phenomenon. Maybe it was the Prince of Light who intervened, I suggested caustically.

– An interesting earthquake. Local is. One clearing shook, but the rest of the forest – as if it had not happened.

– I am not responsible for your local forests.

– What about your horse? This is a completely different song. It gallops without a road, barely touching the ground, and at such a speed that any riding horse will envy.

I folded my arms across my chest and looked accusingly at Eitan. Well, now what to do with it? Incinerate on the spot?

– Okay, let’s say you caught me. I’m not a person. And he is not a horse. What’s next? I warn you right away: garlic will not help. I can’t stand the smell, but I won’t scatter ashes. And the sign of the Prince will not help: that old woman has already tried. I will only get angry. Aspen stake is better. The tree, of course, does not matter, but if you hit the vital organs, I will die. But can you get to me?

From such pressure, Eitan was embarrassed.

– I’m not going to do anything. I just wanted to ask. Who are you really?

I let out an unintelligible exclamation, meant to express my annoyance.

– I don’t know how to say it! You don’t have such a word. In order for a word to appear, a concept is needed. And you have no idea what is happening in my world. Well, if you like, you can call me a demon, – I relented, although I grimaced at such a wording. – In your language, this is probably the closest.

Eitan still got it, judging by how convulsively he swallowed.

– I didn’t think demons… looked like that.

– Demons don’t look like anything, – I snapped. We are incorporeal and can take on different forms. And I ask you not to confuse me with all sorts of primitive beings who are not interested in anything but to devour energetically.

Eitan did not quite understand what I was talking about, but it seems that a new thought occurred to him, as he closed his eyes and began to massage his temples with his fingers.

– So I slept with a demon, – he finally stated. Will I go to hell?

I batted my eyelashes in bewilderment, and then burst out laughing so that I fell back onto the grass and clutched my stomach with both hands.

– You know, – I said with difficulty, then, wiping my tears, – I have seen an innumerable number of people who ended up in, as you put it, hell. None of them have this reason. Oh, I can’t, well, you have a fantasy! Such details of your personal life are of no interest to either the Prince of Darkness or the Prince of Light. I’m sorry, but to get to hell, you have to do something more serious.

– It’s calming.

– And don’t calm down too much, – I advised vindictively. – Maybe I’m lying? I’m a demon! What if I came to earth for this, to seduce you and forever deprive you of paradise?

– I doubt. I don’t think a… demon like you would come for such a small thing.

One point for you. Wouldn’t have arrived. Our meeting with you is a 100% accident.

– What an accident?

Again a puncture. Such words should not have been used.

– Absolute. Full.

– Okay. And still. What brought you to earth? There is some purpose.

– Of course. Let’s put it this way: I came to earth with a mission.

– And… what kind of mission is this? – Eitan asked with undisguised apprehension.

– But I won’t reveal this.

He paused, half gathering courage, half grabbing an elusive thought by the tail, then asked:

– Are you going to destroy the earth?

– Minus five points. To destroy the earth, it is not necessary to go down to it.

– To go down? he seized on the word. – I thought hell was below.

– Up, down… – I waved. – Outside of your reality, these concepts completely lose their meaning. But the fact remains that in order to destroy the world, the brothers must come to an agreement.

I did not specify, but Eitan, of course, understood without explanation that the brothers are the Prince of Darkness and the Prince of Light.

– Can they? Come to an agreement?

– Well, they have a complicated relationship… In principle, they can. But the land will not be destroyed.

– It’s calming.

– You will calm down after death, – I snapped, once again laying down comfortably and looking up.

During our conversation, the clouds managed to move, and the picture of the starry sky changed.

– Why are you so mean? Eitan complained and immediately slapped his forehead, realizing that the answer was obvious.

– Ha-ha-ha! I deliberately laughed. – I’m supposed to. And with what pleasure I drink the blood of the righteous! Mmmm… yummy!

– I do not believe.

– And rightly so. Blood tastes bad. Too salty.

It seemed that the conversation managed to be diverted away from slippery moments, but my companion turned out to be a tough nut to crack.

Have you come to bring destruction? – he asked in the forehead, leaning forward.

I glanced at him with disapproval.

– Naturally. What did you think? Without destruction, you know, there will be no place for new life. And then, you people love to look for the guilty. First, do something that even the most painstaking work cannot fix. And then you wonder: “Like a global flood? For what?” Yes, for nothing! Global warming should not have been arranged.

– What kind of warming?

– Forget. This is what I got into. The bottom line is that sometimes you can’t do without destruction, and you won’t be able to shift all the blame on the Prince of Darkness. So what are you going to do now, righteous with tasteless blood? Will you run home in the morning? The bride isn’t as scary as a demon, is she? Or do we still stop at the option with an aspen stake?

Something subtly similar to regret scratched the soul. The wind blew soothingly across his face and palms.

– I am not my own enemy, – Eitan reasonably objected.

Covered his eyes. And pretended to fall asleep.

All clear. Run away. Maybe tonight, maybe later. Yes, and no wonder. Any mortal will be frightened when they realize who they are facing. It’s like a ladybug making friends with an elephant that comes and doesn’t notice. And for a long time he will be surprised: where did the new friend go? Creeping away slowly, then spreading your wings and flying away is the most reasonable act in such a situation. And for the most part, I shouldn’t care.

But regret continued to scratch from somewhere inside. And it was wrong.

Chapter 6

Eitan did not escape during the night. However, he spent her without sleep, it was clear from the reddened eyes, which he began to rub every now and then, when he thought that I was looking the other way. The disappearance of a satellite is a matter of time. Most likely, he was simply afraid that I would consider such an act a betrayal, I would catch up with him and punish him somehow. Ridiculous thought, really: do I really have nothing better to do than run after… ladybugs? At first I even wanted to tell him directly about it, but changed my mind. Conducting conversations with ladybugs was also outside the scope of my official duties.

Another town, which we soon reached, Ir, differed from the others in especially narrow streets. Often, with arms stretched out to the sides, one could easily touch both walls. Driving here was problematic, so the chariot had to be left on the outskirts, since the distances were ridiculous – we reached the center in just half an hour. We passed, bowing our heads and turning up our collars, under clotheslines stretched between the windows (it was always dripping from poorly wrung out clothes), admired the abandoned church, lopsided from time to time, and went down the stairs to one of the taverns.

The local chef lacked stars from the sky, but the food was quite tolerable. Customers willingly cleaned their plates, soaking slices of freshly baked bread in the sauce from the roast. Even Eitan cheered up a little, though he continued to furtively cast ambiguous glances at me. It was annoying, even depressing. I would have run away as soon as possible. However, soon I was not up to it.

The air suddenly seemed to thicken around me. Sounds and sights barely reached my attention, as if breaking through stone walls. In fact, I barely reacted to the world around me, suddenly completely focusing on inner sensations. Internal, but imposed from the outside. And I could not understand what kind of force was grabbing me and pulling me, when I myself did not know where. At first I thought that it makes sense to figure out, to check where such a strange state came from. But soon she just got up and walked away. I pushed the table away, left the tavern, completely concentrated on the goal, not at all caring that my companion, albeit a short one, remained there, albeit a short one, as well as that it is customary to pay for food in such establishments.

I was drawn forward, desperately, swiftly, demanding to quickly overcome all obstacles. The rest didn’t matter. Just be in time for the call. Be where you need to be. And then you can think about the next one.

I don’t like the situation at all. I am my own mistress. I obey only the Prince of Darkness, but he definitely has nothing to do with what is happening to me now. We know him too well. Too long by any reckoning. Something incomprehensible, alien, carrying a threat pulls me along, as if I had suddenly turned into a puppet. And I like this comparison even less.

I’m in a hurry. I move swiftly, much faster than ordinary people walk, almost without touching the ground with their feet. Out of the corner of my eye, seeing my own arms and legs, I understand that my outlines have become blurry. I have not lost my body, but a little more – and I will take on a completely different image, dark, blurry, huge by human standards. I begin to grit my teeth in displeasure. I have nothing against this image, but I want to control everything that happens to me. Besides, handing over myself like this with giblets is absolutely not included in my plans.

Here it is, the old rickety temple. It is here that an unknown force draws me. I don’t even go in – I penetrate – inside. Unexpectedly spacious. From the outside, the building seemed small, but no, the dimensions are quite traditional. What can you say about the situation. An intricate polygon is drawn in chalk on the floor. On its sides are laid out objects that seem to have nothing to do with each other, but all powerful, exuding remarkable strength. An ancient crooked dagger, long rusted, completely useless today, but knowing a lot of the most diverse blood. A bunch of uprooted grass, fresh, keeping life. A human skull, most likely dug up in some ancient cemetery. And much more.

And some man in a dark cloak, frozen at the opposite end of the temple, devours me with a greedy, frightened, but at the same time enthusiastic look.

Now I understand. Sliding like a shadow inside the polygon, trapping myself in the grip of its edges, I finally realized the truth. This idiot decided to summon a demon! I read the rules – and where did I get them?.. Collected the necessary artifacts. I drew and laid out everything as it should. And in this way I should have attracted a lower creature from the world of Darkness, one of those that circle near the surface, attracted by the smell of blood, reacting to life like a hungry dog to an alluring bone… But I turned out to be closer! I have already been in this world, moreover, only two blocks from the ill-fated temple. And so the call hooked me. Me, who, under other circumstances, no mortal would be able to catch on such nonsense!

I got really angry. She growled, bared her fangs. It is unlikely that this greatly spoiled my appearance: now, in any case, I did not look much like a pretty country girl. I wanted only one thing – to scare the hell out of an insolent man who encroached on something he had no idea about. Also, maybe rip out his liver. But, alas, there was not a single chance for the latter: the polygon reliably kept me in its ugly framework.

The suicide bomber – although he did not yet consider himself such – was frightened, but this did not prevent him from experiencing delight bordering on insanity.

– It worked, – he whispered with his lips. And, already in a full voice, he shouted: – It turned out! It can’t be… It just can’t be.

Well, definitely crazy. Talks to himself. However, the normal initially will not get involved in such experiments. The instinct of self-preservation will not allow. It is said that people have it very strong.

– So… what’s next… I’m Tobias Challis, your lord!

Apparently, it was written in the book that one should speak with the demon clearly and loudly, and he tried, like a diligent student. At the last word, I once again grinned.

– Do you obey me, fiend of darkness?

– I obey.

Sounds are extremely reluctant to fly from the lips. And such a smile plays on them that a madman would run away to distant lands, if he understood at least something in demonic facial expressions.

– Good. Then I order to bring here Isabella Challis, my daughter-in-law, and her offspring, whom she worked up on the side. Deliver dead or alive, I don’t care.

– I obey.

I go beyond the edge of the polygon, but it does not matter. The spell of submission continues to work, they didn’t let me out, they just lengthened the strings that securely tied me to the temple. But this is temporary. Sooner or later, the scoundrel will make a mistake – and choke on his own blood. Demons do not forgive encroachments on their freedom.

All feelings faded into the background, my mind owns only hatred. It bubbles in the chest, pulsates in the temples, covers the eyes with a dark veil. The will is constrained, but I know exactly who is guilty of this and who will have to pay the bills.

Finding people in a tiny town is easy. With ease I crush the door, with one hand I grab a young woman, with the other a four-year-old male child. By the way, Tobias was mistaken in this respect: the same blood definitely flows in the boy as in his own veins. But I am not ordered to report it, and I am not so stupid as to do more than necessary…

These two are frightened and try to resist, but I, now possessing inhuman size and remarkable strength, have no difficulty in holding them back. I don’t feel sympathy, more like annoyance. For me, they are a hindrance to which I have to be distracted instead of doing my real business. We move swiftly, like an indistinct shadow, almost imperceptible to passers-by. They only cringe, feeling the cold that casually touched their souls. Sometimes human instincts scream about danger where the mind is silent.

I return to the temple, toss the loot into the corner, and stand back in the center of the polygon.

– Your mission is complete.

Tobias is already dancing, rubbing his hands.

Did you think I couldn’t do anything? he exclaims, turning to his daughter-in-law. You stole my son from me! He left home because of you. Because of you, I stopped talking to my own father. You tricked him into quarreling with his family and forced him to raise someone else’s child. But as you can see, I’m hard to outwit. And I am strong, stronger than anyone in this city! Stronger than anything you could imagine. Many will find out about this today, but you took away the most valuable thing from me – my son, and you will be the first. – And, not giving the frightened woman a chance to answer, she turns to me: – Kill them!

A madman is a madman and is.

I take a step towards the victims, but freeze, suddenly hearing a familiar voice:

– Arafel, no!

I slowly turn my head. Eitan, who for some incomprehensible reason did not run away as soon as I left the tavern, and even more incredibly appeared here – was he following me, or what? – rushes to the polygon.

Another lunatic. Everyone here is crazy.

– Who is that? Tobias exclaims nervously. – Remove it immediately, so as not to interfere!

I strike and the recent companion flies off to the wall, and remains lying near it, and the smell of freshly spilled blood tickles my nostrils. I turn back to the woman with the boy. Realizing that there is nothing left to lose, she jumps to her feet and exclaims:

– You are not telling the truth, Master Tobias! – I never tried to get you and Danny to fight. I even persuaded him not to break off relations, after all, you are his father. He himself decided so, and you know very well that it is your fault. And Gaby is Danny’s son and your grandson. Have pity on him!

And then I realize that fate provides me with a loophole. It seems that now it makes sense to speak out.

– She may be right, lord. It is possible that the boy is your grandson.

– What? For the first time, Tobias looks truly unsure. I succeeded in planting a seed of doubt in his mind. – My… but… She is walking, I know! And this kid doesn’t look like Danny or me at all… Are you saying “maybe”? What does it mean? Can you find out for sure?

– Yes, sir. To do this, I will need to drink your blood.

I can’t help but enjoy the effect. Tobias literally turned white with fear. The woman, too, was frightened, pressed the child to her. Stupid. I don’t care about you. The performance is intended for a different audience.

Having seen enough of the reaction of the insane villain who decided to command me, I clarify:

– Two drops are enough. Yours and the boy.

He calms down. Wipes sweat from forehead.

– The boy and my…

Still, it’s a nerve-wracking task to summon a demon. It is already difficult for a man to concentrate, thoughts begin to get confused, and this is to my advantage. – Okay. If he really can be my grandson…

And I’m ready to triumph, but then he exclaims, bouncing away from the polygon: – Stop! I understand! You want to outsmart me. I read somewhere… Drink my blood and I will lose power over you. No-o-e-t, you won’t succeed, demon! Kill her! Immediately, do you hear?

I growl again in annoyance, baring my teeth in a grin. And I look around, suddenly feeling a certain failure. Fluctuation in the currents of power.

Eitan, with a cut forehead, still unnoticed by anyone, creeps up to the polygon. Movements are given to him with difficulty, but perseverance bears fruit. He reaches out, touches the rusty dagger with his fingers, and tosses the weapon aside.

– Not! Tobias yells desperately.

Too late. A gap appears in a perfectly erected wall. The figure, worked out with such care, is hopelessly spoiled. It would seem that such a small detail, but without it, restrictive witchcraft no longer works. And I break free.

Claws – and my hand now resembles the paw of a predator – tear the offender’s chest. Tobias falls to the floor, and I’m going to enjoy his suffering, toy with whoever thinks he can give me orders. And suddenly I feel a slight hindrance. Someone grabbed my forearm.

– Don’t, Arafel! Enough!

I tower over Eitan, ready to tear him apart.

– Never! I growl, breathing into his face. – Never come between a demon and its prey!

I say the last words in a human voice. And, only when I heard myself, I understand that I have regained my human form. I move back to the wall, away from the others, and wearily sit down on the floor.

Apparently I’ve been off for a while. She didn’t fall asleep, didn’t lose consciousness, namely, she disconnected from reality, frozen in place, looking at one point, hearing and not seeing anything. When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was muffled voices.

– I’m not even sure my husband will believe me, – the woman said quietly. Apparently, she managed to recover a little, but emotionally still remained on edge. – I wouldn’t believe it myself, someone tell me!

She ran her hand through the hair of a sleeping child, whose childish organism apparently found the best way out of this situation: as soon as the threat passed, fall asleep soundly in her mother’s arms and thus move away from the recent fright.

– And if he believes, it is also not clear what to do. Would he want to take care of his father’s funeral after everything that had happened here? Prince of Light, I can’t imagine this funeral!

– Now you just need to go home and calm down, at least a little. Sit in a comfortable environment. Drink something stronger than usual. Get some sleep. And keep the boy with you, he will be calmer that way. And then all the questions will be solved by themselves. Can I help you?

– No, no, thanks! Thank you for everything!

– Can you get home on your own? Eitan asked with some hesitation.

– Oh sure. I’m fine, but it’s not far from here.

I heard footsteps, saw people approaching with peripheral vision. Tobias’ daughter-in-law and Eitan carrying a sleeping boy. The woman suddenly stopped.

– You shouldn’t be afraid of her, – Eitan began to explain quietly. She doesn’t wish you harm. And never wanted to. She was forced to obey this man, but now he is gone.

Interrupted breath. The memory of the last seconds of Tobias’s life did nothing to increase his confidence in the creature sitting near the door. I cast an indifferent glance at the people and turned away, showing with my posture and facial expressions that I was not going to stop anyone and generally interfere in their actions in any way. But instead of reaching the exit, the woman, on the contrary, retreated into the depths of the temple. It seems that only the bloody body of a recent father-in-law did not allow her to go too far.

– I’ve seen what she’s capable of, – she said in a barely audible voice.

But demons have very keen hearing.

– I saw it too, – Eitan did not give up, – but take my word for it, she is not at all the personification of evil, as one might think.

Are you saying she’s kind? the woman whispered incredulously, even sarcastically.

– Not exactly, but she is much more human than you might think. She, of course, is incredibly strong and dangerous, but she is not alien to a sense of justice. It is she who directs her actions in most cases. So you have nothing to be afraid of. Let’s go.

I calmly sat still until the throwing was finally over, and the woman with the child went to her place, probably to the same house from which I pulled them out half an hour ago.

Eitan followed them with his eyes for a while, then came up to me. He extended his hand. After some thought, I accepted the help.

– Perhaps we’d better get out of here too.

He nodded in agreement. One last look at the body of a madman who had taken on too much, sprawled on the floor, and we went out into the open air. The sun was setting, but after the suffocating temple it seemed that it was as bright as noon around, and the air was cleaner and fresher than on the mountain slopes.

– Where do we sleep? – Eitan tried to speak as if nothing had happened, and, it should be noted, he did it quite well.

– Definitely not in this city, – I said.

Despite the fact that we did not stay here for long, Ira was enough for my throat.

– Then we must return to the chariot.

– One more finishing touch.

I turned to face the temple and threw up my hands. The walls burst into flames. Wind-blown smoke made his eyes water. Soon the fire engulfed the roof. The boards crackled, sparks flew in all directions.

– Why?

It seems that Eitan did not approve of my action.

– It will be easier for everyone, – I explained. – No one will use the finished circle for their own purposes. The guard will not investigate what happened. And Tobias’s son won’t have to rush about deciding whether to bury his father according to accepted custom. Let’s go. It’s getting too crowded in here.

On a warm starry evening, habitually lying on a raincoat, laid out in advance on the grass, I decided that it was time for an honest conversation.